There’s the de rigueur detection meters and now-standard ‘enhanced listening’ view that lets you track and spot enemies with a red outline even when obscured by obstacles, as well as one-hit assassinations if you creep up on an unsuspecting enemy. There’s a lot of combat in Ghost of Tsushima, so it’s a relief to say it remains fun throughout.Īn alternative approach, however, is always available, and Jin is just as adept at being the stealthy, sneaky ‘Ghost’ ninja that the game’s title alludes to. Successful actions in combat build a ‘Resolve’ meter that can be spent to heal Jin, or pull off powerful attacks unlocked later in the game, while completing missions and taking on exploration challenges around the map can also unlock charms which can be added to your weapons to improve your stats and skills. Breaking the guard of a heavy-hitting giant foe requires a different stance to sizing up against a swift spearman for instance, and learning each enemy’s strength or weakness is vital to winning a fight. Jin will gain access to heavy and light attacks, dodges, blocks and parries, and each of these can be modified by one of a number of different fighting stances, accessed by holding down R2 and hitting a corresponding face button, and each vital to taking on different sorts of opponents. Once surrounded, however, you’ll have to be more methodical in your approach. Many encounters kick off with a ‘Stand Off’ – a bit like a do-or-die game of sword-swinging chicken, where you’ll eye up an opponent and wait for the exact moment when to make a deadly first strike, just like in classic samurai films. 'There’s a lot of combat in Ghost of Tsushima, so it’s a relief to say it remains fun throughout.'Īs you’d expect then, swordplay is a major component of combat, and it’s pulled off incredibly satisfyingly here. As a weak Jin early in the game, even a lowly rag-wearing bandit can make mincemeat of you, but familiarity with its systems and the enhancements unlocked across the course of your adventure will have you wielding a katana like a master swordsman. It’s swift, articulate, blood-thirsty, and challenging, but also empowering. If exploration is one core pillar of the game, the second would be combat.

(Image credit: Sucker Punch Productions/Sony) And, when no obvious destination presents itself, the wildlife of the island comes into play – golden birds fly towards the vicinity of secret locations, while foxes leave their dens to guide you to the location of buff-rewarding Inari Shrines. With long grass abundant, smoke plentiful and leaves kicking up in a bluster, it’s a great way to maintain a minimal HUD and keep you immersed in the action without making you feel lost. If trees sway left, your destination lies to the west, for instance, while a column of smoke blowing towards you would indicate you need to make an about turn, whether on foot or on your trusty horse that accompanies you throughout the game. It’s a great feature – mark an objective or spot on the map, and when you’re in the game the direction of the wind instead acts as a visual compass. Instead, you have to make use of visual clues around the landscape to find points of interest, and make use of a ‘Guiding Wind’ that can direct you to tracked locations as you clamber up mountainsides and wade through sodden rice fields. Though you have access to a fog-of-war obscured world map, there’s no minimap or compass when you’re outside of menus.

This is in huge part down to its innovative exploration tools. 'Guiding Wind is a great way to maintain a minimal HUD and keep you immersed in the action without making you feel lost.'

Ghost of Tsushima is filled with tasks at every turn, but does well to hide the box-ticking map icon checklist that other games in the genre fall foul of. It’s a huge game, with more activities and distractions than can be succinctly listed here. Starting with just the most basic of weaponry and attacks, Jin will become a more accomplished samurai as he explores the map, earning better weapons and armor, and improved powers by exploring shrines, finding rejuvenating hot springs, and liberating encampments from Mongol troops, as well as navigating the twist-laden main story. If you’ve played any open-world games in the wake of The Witcher 3, be that Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’ll know exactly what to expect from Ghost of Tsushima.

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